History

Gender is a social construct through which society assigns roles to individuals based on their sex (Coltrane, 1998, 16). Sexuality is the determination of ones sexual orientation, in terms of their longings, desires and erotic fantasies.

In society, individuals learn to perform specific roles that are determined by social institutions as appropriate for their gender. Girls, for instance, learn about domestic chores such as cooking, washing and baby nursing. These chores confine them to the home, in subjection and servitude to men. In matters of sexuality, the perception and development of the self and other social traits are tied to societal norms and values, whose contradiction labels the individual as perverted or immoral. In some cultures, it is not socially acceptable, for example, for the female to court the male. Equally, same gender relationships are outlawed as immoral and wicked.

These two elements of society (social construction of gender and sexuality) work simultaneously against women, by reinforcing patriarchy and perpetuating their oppression (Griscom, 503). As noted above, the social roles that society assigns to female members subject them to dominance by their male counterparts. Within the family unit, the association of being woman with motherhood limits their lives to childbearing and servitude to their husbands. The expression housewife reflects the notion that her place is in the house, different from housemaid by reference but similar by all practical aspects. In addition, she is subject to the mans authority,  By her nature, her sex, just as the negro is and always will be, to the end of times, inferior to the white race, and therefore, doomed to subjection but happier than she would be otherwise, just because it is the law of her nature (Brownson,1869, 543). This expression portrays the conception of women as dependant of and subordinate to men. It is a patriarchal ideology that gets strengthened every time a woman bows to social expectations to take the name of her husband, feed him and raise his children. It is a popular idea of patriarchy that this is her destiny, her proper function for which nature has specifically qualified her. Its attendant oppressive aspects are inherent in the many chores she has to do in the house to satisfy her husband and raise the children.

The creation of the family unit is determined by societys definition of sexuality and its roles. In the case about Sharon Kowalski and Karen Thompson, the oppressive nature of societys conception of sexuality and its role in the family is clearly brought out. Because she is a woman, Sharon is denied the right to decide her destiny and pursue the kind of love that defines the rest of ones life after marriage. Central to her predicament is the aspect of sexism, which assign women social roles that tie them to male domination. Accordingly, they are required by society to get married to the opposite sex for child bearing. But since the person she loves is another woman, they are both subjected to discrimination by the institutions of society, more specifically the legal system. Even when it was apparent that she needed Karen for her psychological and emotional well-being, the courts out ruled their union. The hand of patriarchy came into play when her father was awarded full custodianship over her, who treated her like an object without feelings and emotions.

Lesbianism is regarded as a social vice in most cultures. Society would only recognize heterosexual relationships, since it determines that a woman must be enjoined to a man for a marriage relationship. This societal standard violates the rights of women in two ways. First, they cannot raise a family outside marriage (single parenthood). Secondly, women cannot make a family in the absence of a man. For these reasons, Sharon was denied the right to live with her lover, and subjected to the whims of her father. As long as the girl child has no man in her life to claim and own her, she remains under the authority of the only man in her life her father.

In conclusion, nothing degrades the value of women more than societys tendency to assign them a subordinate role, in which they are incomplete and therefore needing the head figure of a man to fully realize their identity. You say Mrs. who We do not believe women, unless we acknowledge individual exceptions, are fit to have their own head (Brownson, 1869, 544).